Conventionally, performance training apparatus are known which have a so-called navigation function to cause a performer to beforehand recognize an operation element to be operated (i.e., a key to be depressed) for performance. For example, an electronic keyboard instrument having such navigation function includes a plurality of light emitting elements such as LEDs provided in correspondence to a plurality of keys of the keyboard. As a melody is progresses, a light emitting element for a key to be depressed based on event data for a predetermined part (generally, a melody part) of the melody is turned on or off. By using such function, even when the performer is unfamiliar with the performance of the melody, the performer can perform the melody by sequentially depressing keys corresponding to sequentially turned-on light emitting elements.
However, in the conventional performance training apparatus, melodies used for performance training are limited to ones prepared in the performance training apparatus, and it is desired that the performer can use any melody for training purposes.
Especially, in recent years many melody data of a SMF (Standard MIDI File) type are available on the network. It is desired that the melody data can be used for performance training.
However, there is a problem in use of those melody data of the SMF type as they are. Melody data is generally composed of a plurality of parts, a particular one of which is used for turning on/off of the light emitting element in the performance training apparatus, and other parts are fed for accompaniment use to a sound source. Thus, a light emitting element is turned on when a timing when a corresponding key is depressed has come and musical sounds of other parts are generated synchronously with the timing. However, the performer inevitably recognizes that the light emitting element has been turn on and then depresses the corresponding key. Thus, the performer's performance is delayed inevitably compared to the performance of the parts. Thus, synchronization cannot be achieved. As just described above, even when general melody data is used as it is for performance training, it is impossible to cause the performer to beforehand recognize a key to be depressed.
Conventional performance training apparatus are arranged to stop the progress of the melody from the time when a light emitting element corresponding to the key to be depressed is turned on to the time when the performer depresses that key. If melody data of the general SMF type is used as it is, however, the melody would progress irrespective of whether correct key depression is performed, and the performer cannot follow up the melody.
Further, even when the timing of turning on a light emitting element is advanced earlier in order to cause the performer to beforehand recognize the corresponding key to be depressed, the performer cannot now recognize which is a correct timing of key depression.